Steal the Stars from the Sky
by MooseDeEvita
Summary: AU Yondu is the leader of a group hired to safely guide a wagon train across the country. It'd be an easier job if he wasn't so distracted by those damn blue eyes always watching him.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The creak of wheels filled the dusty air as the train of wagons pulled away from civilization. Oxen stomped and snuffed as they pulled their heavy cargo westward, families walking alongside their wagons. A man rode up ahead of the group, his long riding leathers blowing back behind him. They had a long ride ahead of them and Yondu had only been able to hire a few men to ride with him as he guided the latest group of migrants to Oregon.

There hadn't been enough time before they set out for him to hire the crew himself, so he'd given the job to Peter, his protégé, for lack of a better term. That boy had stuck with him off and on through the years, proving to be useful in charming people in all of the odd jobs they'd done together. Peter had assured him that each person he had hired for this run would be a good fit, but so far what Yondu had seen was a group of misfits. There was a great tree of a man who had only said a few words who was accompanied by a much smaller, feisty man who talked enough for the both of them. They appeared to get along well with each other, but the smaller man who was called Rocket, seemed ready to start a fight in a heartbeat if the chance arose. Riding nearby was another great hulk of a man whose body was covered almost completely by scars. He had a large boom of a laugh that would bark out from the quiet occasionally as he talked with Peter and the others.

Yondu turned as his ears picked up the sound of horse hooves approaching, spotting the youngest man hired to help guide this group across the country. His tall, skinny frame loomed over the ash colored horse he was riding. Yondu wondered if that scrawniness would be an asset or a hindrance to survival out on the plains

"Ya got everyone set up alright?" Yondu asked, his voice carrying over the clatter of hooves easily.

"Yessir." The young man replied eagerly, straightening up as he drew even with his new leader.

Yondu eyed him up for a minute, chewing on a bit of tobacco leaf to keep himself alert. "What's your name?"

"Kraglin sir." He pressed a fist against his chest.

"Kraglin hmm? You ever do a run like this before?"

"Not as far west as we're going. Used to run stuff north and south so I'm good for judging weather and foraging though." He tried to sit up even further in his saddle, drawing a chuckle from Yondu.

"Should come in handy out here. Weather can change in an instant and we're responsible for all those lives back there." He nodded his head back at the wagons slowly following behind them.

"Aye." Kraglin glanced over his shoulder as well before quickly returning his gaze to the solidly built man riding beside him.

"You any good at fighting?"

"Decent at least with a pistol in hand. I've had my share of action in my short years." Kraglin said, self consciously running his hand over a scar near his eye.

Yondu glanced at the other man's hip, noticing a worn holster peaking out.

"There'll be plenty more action before we reach the coast. Just keep your eyes out for anything. Out here we're on our own, gotta be ready for the worst."

Kraglin nodded again, his brow furrowing as he eyed up the horizon on both sides. Yondu gave him an approving head nod before nudging his horse ahead. .

The sun sank steadily overhead as the day grew long, heat rising from the cracked Missouri ground and mixing with the clouds of dry earth being kicked up from pack animals and travelers alike. Yondu kept his eyes sharply watching the horizon for any danger. Even though they were only a few days ride from the Gateway to the West and this trail was growing in popularity, it was still a desolate and lonely landscape to pass through. Wolves had grown to know that livestock was easy food along this path, along with raiders and Native tribes finding easy targets of the travelers. Every shadow that passed his view could be a threat, so he was constantly alert.

He'd sent Kraglin to watch the rear of the train since the boy had seemed overly eager to prove his usefulness. They were only a few days into the journey but already he could see the dynamics of the group settling in. He had assumed that Peter would be his second in command, what with their bond and all, but the boy seemed determined to undermine him at every turn. He was distracted, that was for sure. Looking over his shoulder at the group, he could see Peter riding alongside the same wagon he'd been bothering for days. Two women sat up on the front seat of their wagon, one steering while the other sat with her dark eyes staring out as if she could see straight through a man. The woman steering the wagon was tall and thin, with long black hair that she wore loose so that it blew with the wind. Flecks of red shone through the strands from the sun and glinting off of her high cheekbones. Yondu could see the appeal, but all the same it drew a frown each time he witnessed it. They were hired hands, here to guide these people across dangerous terrain. Nowhere in the deal did it say to woo ladies, especially when there were other things that needed doing.

While Peter was distracted, Kraglin had dove right into the vacant spot beside Yondu. It seemed every time he turned his head, those gangly arms would be urging his horse's reigns to catch up to him. He was the first to rise each morning to take down camp, and the last to finish at night. That kind of enthusiasm was a rare treat, especially compared to the type of men Yondu usually worked with.

With a last glance at the horizon he let out a sharp whistle, signaling everyone to circle in for the night. Once all of the wagons had been secured and the animals safely paddocked within the circle, Yondu set up a small fire nearby. He could hear laughter and chatter from the travelers as they set up camp for the night. Women in their long cotton dresses worked steadily to create some semblance of dinner for their families at the campfire, the smell wafting lazily up to his nose.

Dry grass crunched as several boots made their way up the hill to Yondu. The very tall, solidly built man Groot was accompanied by Rocket. The smaller man was talking rapidly before both threw their heads back to laugh, though the tall man made barely a sound with his. They settled onto the ground comfortably in front of the fire, pulling out some meat to roast. The scarred man who Yondu had heard be called Drax, settled in with a bowl of soup and slurped loudly. Both Peter and Kraglin were missing, though Yondu didn't have to search too hard to find either. A quick sweep of the crowd led to his eyes falling on Peter down with the travelers, regaling a large group with some story that required a lot of hand gestures. He felt a twinge of irritation when he noticed that the black haired girl was sitting within that circle, though it dissipated once he realized she had a bored expression on her face as she chewed on a piece of fruit. Her sister sat beside her looking as if she wished to be anywhere else.

Another quick sweep of his eyes across the landscape before they fell on Kraglin's thin form in the distance. His outline swayed as he carried two full buckets of water on a yoke up the hill. Something about that sight stirred an ache in Yondu, though he wasn't sure why. It drew him to his feet, though he made sure to rise slowly enough to not draw any attention. The rest of his crew was eating and joking anyway, they were unaware of their leader at the moment.

Each step produced a small swell of locusts hopping up to escape his boots as he walked towards Kraglin's still struggling form.

"Give it here, you need to rest up." Yondu said, tugging the yoke from Kraglin's thin shoulders.

"Thanks, didn't realize how far away that stream would feel in the dark." The younger man said, putting his hand on his shoulder to rub at the spot where the yoke had ben.

They walked back toward the group in a comfortable silence, the sloshing of the water in the buckets filling their ears. It wasn't until they were back settled in on the ground watching over the camp that Yondu realized what he had been feeling. There was an odd gut reaction when he pondered on Kraglin that made him feel like he ought to watch out for him, protect him, even though the other man seemed more than capable of doing everything himself. In fact he seemed to constantly be trying to prove just how much he could do. So it didn't seem to make much sense but all the same, seeing that thin body coming up the hill with that water had made him rush to help even though there wasn't a need. For his part Kraglin didn't seem to mind it one bit, he didn't hear any complaints coming in.

A particularly loud ring of laughter burst from the travelers below, and Yondu noticed that Peter had made his way around the circle to be directly next to the black haired girl. A growl rolled from his throat as he stood.

"Boy, get up here." He shouted, making everyone look up at him.

Even from this distance, Yondu could see the smirk on Peter's face as he made a big show of saying goodnight to all of the travelers before jogging up the hill.

"Git." Yondu cut in to stop Peter from sneaking out some excuse, pointing for him to get up to their small fire. "We ain't here to socialize with them. She sure didn't pay us to be harassed the whole journey out to Oregon."

"Just being friendly. We want them to feel safe right?" Peter glanced out of the corner of his eyes to gauge the reaction of his father figure.

"Make sure that's all it is. We got a code, those women are all off limits."

"No harm in getting to know Gamora a little…" Peter trailed off, snapping a cat tail with his fingers and twirling it.

Yondu watched the reed spin for a few moments in his son's hands, seemingly lost in thought. When his eyes focused back on his surroundings, he noticed a large pair of blue eyes watching him carefully. When his own amber eyes rose to meet Kraglin's, they simply stared at each other. The younger man didn't seem to mind any that he'd been caught staring. If anything, the faintest ghost of something that looked like defiance appeared on the thin face the longer they locked eyes. Finally breaking the gaze, Yondu stood up and stretched in an attempt to act casual.

"Yall finish up and put out that fire. Got a long road ahead of us." He barked out at them, startling Groot and Rocket who had been wrestling over the last bit of dinner.

He kicked at the crickets hopping away from his boots as he climbed into the back of their supply wagon. There was a weird feeling in his chest that he couldn't shake, and there was a lurking suspicion of something, but he wasn't ready to guess what it was. He wasn't willing to risk a backward glance at those eyes he was sure were still following him into the dark.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kraglin had always found riding to be one of his favorite ways to pass the time. He'd learned to ride young, young enough for it to be as natural as breathing to him now. His horse knew him so well that she practically read his mind before he'd even made it up. Having to spend every waking moment riding was made easier by the natural skill he had with her.

They had been traveling for well over a month with only the reward of the widest expanse of nothing he had ever seen. During the day there was the relentless sun shining down on them from a perfectly uninterrupted blue sky that spread straight across the horizon. Lone trees scattered every mile or so were the only signs that they were making any progress across the desolate stretch of golden plains. A heavy cloud of dust followed behind the wagons to mark their path as they slowly trudged westward.

Just as the landscape seemed to stay the same each day, everyone had fallen into a steady predictable routine. They rose with the sun, having a quick breakfast of strong coffee and cold leftovers from dinner. Once all of the animals had been rehitched to their wagons and the camp was packed up, Kraglin would look for Yondu's nod before having the group head out. Once the sun rose so high in the sky that it beat directly down on each person's neck they could stop to rest the animals and eat a quick lunch. Then it was right back onto the trail, trying to put in as many miles as possible before the sun set.

The land had become increasingly flat as the weeks went by. Kraglin could turn to gaze back where they'd come from and see the camp from the night before still on the horizon. During the day the sun was constant and the hot air felt thick enough to cut. Once night would come however, cool breezes would blow across his tired face and continue on their way through the grass. Most nights it was so calm and still that you could practically hear the crickets take a breath before chirping. All of the travelers slept within the wagon circle, some in makeshift beds they had constructed on top of their belongings or right out on the grass underneath their wagon.

While the rest of the group slept on the grass near the circle of wagons and the animals, Yondu always slept inside the supply wagon by himself. Once the sound of his leader's breathing would even out into deep sleep Kraglin would settle himself down directly under the wagon to sleep. If anyone had dared to comment on it he was prepared to defend his actions with the simple explanation that it was the second best place to sleep which was why he always claimed it. No one seemed to want to challenge him for that coveted spot. Rocket and Groot had been having an animated discussion in hushed voices one night as they watched Yondu climb up into the back of the supply wagon. When Kraglin stood up a moment later, they quickly hushed their conversation as their eyes followed his movement. Rocket tried to hide a small smile from his face while Groot simply nodded at him, and they watched Kraglin crawl under the big wooden wheels without a sound. After that night, it was just an automatic assumption that Kraglin got to sleep there. No mention of it ever arose, and the rest of the group seemed more than fine sleeping under the stars off to the side.

Kraglin would fall asleep each night listening to his leader's breathing from above him, and wake at the first creaks from the wood as Yondu rose in the early morning. It had become an amusing routine that drew a smirk from Yondu each day, crawling out of the wagon and taking his time stretching while he counted the seconds until Kraglin appeared before him. The younger man always tried to act casual about it, coming up with some task or reason for him to be awake that was conveniently unrelated to the other man.

Truth be told, Yondu didn't mind the company one bit. Life out on the plains was lonely, even while being surrounded by people. All of the wagons they were guiding were families who had their purpose and minded their own. He had given up on trying to wrangle Peter into a useful position within the group, that boy spent all day driving the supply wagon too close to the wagon of that black haired girl Gamora and her sister. They would ride all day shouting to each other over the pound of hooves and creak of wood, it seemed an impossible task asking them to stay away from each other. Gamora's sister Nebula continued with her daily expression of boredom and exasperation with the pair of them.

Sometimes Yondu would turn away from his glaring at Peter, only to find Kraglin watching him with an unidentifiable expression in his big blue eyes. It was almost like jealousy, that look in his eyes, but jealousy for what? He'd always shake it off, blaming the haze from the dust in the air or the heat rising off the ground for what he thought he saw. Didn't make an ounce of sense, what was there to be jealous of? Either way, Yondu would find himself spending the rest of the day finding little reasons to make Kraglin smile in an attempt to shake off the feeling that those sad eyes gave him. So at the end of each day after settling down to a quick dinner round the fire with his crew, he'd carefully pick his spot on the ground next to Kraglin. A little spark of satisfaction would grow in that strange warm space in his chest as he'd watch a small smile grace his companion's face. It suited him. He knew he could make that smile grow wider to show all those crooked teeth if he nudged him with his elbow or told a cheesy joke. Each night he'd finally give in to exhaustion, separating himself from the most enjoyable company he had come across in years, and crawl into the wagon to sleep on top of all of the ammo and supplies. It sure wasn't comfortable, but it beat sleeping on the ground. Every night he would wait patiently and listen for the familiar sound of Kraglin settling in below him, making a bed in the grass between the wheels. And every night for the last week he had been wrestling with a dangerous thought: there was enough room in the wagon for two people to sleep if one of those two people was skinny as a reed.

They'd set out together getting the camp ready for another long day of traveling, side by side. At first Yondu didn't want to question why it stuck in his mind so much, this boy following him like a skinny little shadow, but the longer it happened the more natural it seemed. The landscape was hard, the food was worse. Here was this tiny bit of pleasantness to look forward to, so why question it. Before long, he actually looked forward to hearing those hesitant footsteps approaching him but would force his face into a casually blank expression.

The days were passed riding side by side, Kraglin eagerly carrying out any order or request Yondu had as soon as the words left his lips. He'd sit back in the saddle, just watching the boy. He really was very useful, practiced at repairing the wagons as well as helping Drax with all of the oxen and horses. The scarred man was surprisingly gentle with handling the animals, brushing them down at night and removing stones from their hooves. The giant outline of Drax made Kraglin look tiny in comparison, his long arms looking delicate when they moved beside the thickly muscled arms of the other man. Never the less Kraglin was able to wrangle an unwilling oxen into the makeshift paddock just as well as Drax, and Yondu couldn't help the feeling of pride in his friend.

It was during a quiet moment of watching Kraglin and Drax settle the horses into the safety of the wagon circle that Yondu spotted a wisp of smoke on the horizon. It was so faint it could barely be seen against the deep heavy purple sky that was rapidly filling with stars. A rim of pale orange hung on to the edge of the horizon in the distant west, giving the faintest glow of light to keep off the growing night. As Kraglin made his way up the hill to join the group at the fire, Yondu caught his eye. With a nod of his head, Kraglin followed Yondu's gaze up beyond the hill to the thin smoke trail. Yondu got up and headed up the hill, glancing over his shoulder to make sure the other man was following him.

As they reached the crest at the top of the hill, both men dropped to their stomachs and shuffled forward in the grass. Far off in the distance a flicker of orange danced through the darkness below the smoke. The faintest outline of tipis loomed in the dark outside the distant fire, and when they squinted both men could see the shadows of men. Kraglin frowned, his mouth hanging open slightly as he took in the scene.

"What do you make of it?" Kraglin asked, a slight crack in his voice at the end of the question.

"Could be scouts, coming to check us out." Yondu mused.

"Don't look like too many of them. Should we warn the others?" Kraglin asked, looking back over his shoulder at their own fire casting shadows below.

"Naw, they ain't bothering us." Yondu crawled a little further out to see more clearly.

"I can count 7, maybe 8 men there at the fire." Kraglin said, misinterpreting the interest that Yondu had in getting a closer look.

"If they were gonna do something, they'd be doing it by now. I saw them make camp behind us two nights ago. I think they watching us, trying to figure out what we're doing out here." Yondu turned onto his side, leaning his elbow into the dry prickly grass. He smiled gently when he spotted the wary look on Kraglin's face. "They're probably more scared than we are, what with having all these funny looking people cutting through their home all of a sudden. We'd be keeping an eye on them if the tables were turned."

Kraglin mulled it over for a few minutes quietly, his mouth slightly open in a frown that showed his big front teeth. A decision made in his mind finally, Kraglin gave a small nod and settled back onto his side, imitating Yondu's pose in the grass. They lay in a pleasant, companionable silence as night completely took over the sky. The land was so empty of anything that the world was perfectly transformed into nothing but inky darkness and stars.

"Back home we didn't have this many stars. At least I never noticed em much." Kraglin said quietly.

"Sure we did. Trees just blocked the view is all." Yondu said with a hint of doubt in his voice.

"I'm telling you, Georgia don't have these stars. The world has a start and finish back there. Here it just keeps going on forever." Kraglin's thin hand came up into the air, gesturing to the uninterrupted view.

Yondu watched that hand float through the air a moment, taking in the way each long finger gracefully pointed out constellations. He had the crazy urge to reach out to that hand, to take it into his larger one, to feel those fingers curl around his. That was ludicrous, men didn't hold each other's hands no matter what. He shoved that urge down into the place in his chest where the rest of his strange thoughts lived, right by that glowing feeling that throbbed at the first glimpse of a certain person. To distract himself from this train of thought, Yondu rolled onto his back and folded his hands behind his head so that he had a clear view of the stars. It didn't work though, he could still see Kraglin out of the corner of his eye. The younger man had stopped looking at the stars, and was instead intently staring at Yondu. He clearly thought that he was unobserved, because he was so unashamed in his observations of his leader. Yondu allowed it, working to suppress the strange closeness he felt to this man beside him. Whatever this confusing pull was that he felt for the boy was strong, he feared he might not be able to resist it forever. What exactly was at the other end of this suppression however, Yondu still didn't know.

A lone whippoorwill cried out into the still night, stirring both men from their reveries. Yondu rolled back onto his side to take in the view of his companion. Kraglin slowly looked up to lock eyes with Yondu. Those big eyes were shining so full of stars that Yondu almost lost himself in them. His lungs gave a sharp pang, reminding him to take a breath that he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Never took the time to appreciate the stars fully until now." Kraglin said softly, turning back to the sky above. "No wonder so many songs mention the stars. They're awful pretty."

"They are." Yondu agreed, still studying the reflection of stars filling those blue eyes.

A cool breeze rustled the grasses around them, drawing a shiver from Kraglin's thin frame.

"Come on, best be getting back. Got a long couple months still ahead of us." Yondu sighed.

Shooting one last glance at the Native men at their fire, Yondu and Kraglin slid down the hill back to their own camp. Clearly more time had passed than either had realized, most of the group was already asleep. Rocket and Groot were the last awake at the fire, and the former gave Kraglin a raise of his eyebrow as he watched both men pass. Yondu paused at the back of the wagon, feeling as if there was something that needed to be said but not finding the words. He turned to Kraglin as he hovered just within the boundaries of being too close to be purely friendly. They simply stood looking at each other for several moments before the hiss of water on the fire drew them out of their trance.

Yondu glanced around at the dying embers of the fire, at the grass and dirt by his boots, at his hands, anything besides the man beside him. There was something deep within that gaze that he wasn't ready to meet, to understand. So instead he reached out to brush some dirt off Kraglin's shoulder before climbing up into the wagon. Long after all other sounds died down outside, Yondu lay wide awake staring at the canvas ceiling recalling the shiver he felt in that thin shoulder when his hand touched it.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The trail was becoming cluttered with abandoned items from wagon trains that had passed before them. Chairs, dressers, pots, literally any item that could be spared had been tossed out onto the brittle grass, creating a visual for the group to see where they were headed. Yondu couldn't help but stop and rifle through each cluster of items as they passed, slipping a few small items that were seemingly worthless into the depths of his jacket. He and Kraglin had taken to riding well ahead of the train under the pretense of looking out for danger, but it mostly consisted of them sifting through the discarded items of strangers.

Perhaps they let their eyes linger too long on each other while they talked, maybe there were smiles that didn't quite match the conversation they were having. Possibly they found too many excuses to be in each other's space while searching for treasures. Weren't no one else around to witness anything, if it were happening Yondu reckoned. The rest of the group was just a cloud of dust a good ten minutes ride behind them, inching forward at a crawl due to the heavy wagons and tired oxen. If he noticed anything worth alerting his crew, he'd reach them quick enough.

Kraglin's thin frame was bending to inspect a chest that was halfway open and Yondu let his eyes slowly take in the other man's silhouette. He had foregone his riding jacket in the midday heat, instead wearing a simple button up shirt that he'd rolled up to his elbows.

"Well lookit this!" Kraglin said suddenly, causing Yondu to pause mid step.

The younger man looked over his shoulder at Yondu with a grin, his eyes wide with excitement.

"What you got boy?" Yondu asked, bridging the last few steps between them.

They both peered into the box as Kraglin pried the lid fully off, and the sun shot bursts of light off the silver tea set that lay within.

"Who'd be crazy enough to drop this out here?" Kraglin asked, picking up an ornate sugar dish.

Yondu let out a soft whistle as he shook his head. "Don't question what the universe chooses to give us."

A big toothy grin spread across his face as he picked up a large serving platter and inspected his teeth in it. When he pulled the silver back from his face, Kraglin averted his eyes and busied himself with rubbing off a spot on the sugar dish.

"We got some room for a few things. What you want from here?" Yondu asked.

As Kraglin turned back towards the chest, the silver began to clank softly. Pebbles started hopping along the worn dusty trail, clattering back and forth against each other. A lone oak tree off on the ridge lost some leaves as the ground beneath them began shaking. Yondu placed a hand on Kraglin's shoulder, steadying him as they both looked around. Suddenly Kraglin felt Yondu's hand tug him up onto his feet and shove him roughly forward.

"On your horse now boy!" He growled, swinging up onto his own horse in one fluid motion.

Kraglin rushed to his horse, who was snorting nervously as a deep rumble sound grew louder, filling the air.

Both men flew forward, urging their horses as fast as they could go. After a few minutes of riding up over the ridge that ran parallel to the trail, Yondu spotted the source of the disturbance. He slowed his horse gently, hearing Kraglin do the same directly behind him. From up on the trail, the land had looked mostly flat and barren, unchanging from mile to mile. The view from atop the ridge they had risen over allowed them a view of a large basin below. It was such a severe contrast from the harsh, dead landscape they had been passing through for weeks. Wild flowers bloomed in bright purple and yellow, their long stems blowing in the breeze. Swirls of colorful petals blew the shapes of the wind into the air, making their way lazily up toward the two stunned men.

The source of the rumbling came from the largest herd of buffalo that either man had ever seen. One after another the giant beasts trotted through the basin, their hooves shaking the ground like an earthquake as they seemingly moved all together in one motion. They let out pig-like snuffles as they ran, strangely graceful in their motion. Both men sat watching the migration for several minutes, side by side in awed silence. Yondu finally turned to Kraglin, appreciating the look of amazement shining on his face as he watched several baby buffalo try to keep up with the rest.

"I thought for sure they were gonna stampede right through our train." Yondu said.

"They don't even seem to know we're here." Kraglin said, still following the herd with his eyes carefully.

"We must be like a fly to them, something to swat at and nothin more." Yondu agreed, glancing back at the receding herd as they rounded a curve in the basin.

Both men watched as the herd moved further and further into the distance, the thunderous pound of their hooves dying off into the wind into a faint rumble.

"Tell you what though, it's too bad we left all that silver behind. By the time we get back onto the trail our group'll have caught up to us." Kraglin sighed, taking one last glance at the basin below before directing his horse back over the ridge.

An expression spread quickly across Yondu's face as a thought hit him. He gave his horse a soft kick and trotted up and over onto the trail. Kraglin took a moment to look back out at the basin before urging his horse forward to catch up.

The wagon train was slowly approaching as Kraglin reached the path. Yondu pulled up alongside Rocket as he rode in front of the train.

"Rocket, Imma need you and your boy for a minute." Yondu shouted, motioning for Rocket and Groot to follow him over to the side near the basin.

Kraglin waited for Yondu to look at him, give him any sign that he could follow, but for once the man seemed oblivious to his existence. He watched the three men ride off down the ridge, and he fought the strange bubble that always rose in his stomach as of late when he wasn't his leader's center of attention.

Yondu gave a glance over his shoulder right before he went out of sight. "Keep on the trail, we'll meet you up the road. You got this?"

Kraglin gave a firm nod, straightening in his saddle as he turned back to the cluster of wagons rolling by. He rode up to the front where Drax was steering the supply wagon, and rode alongside it.

"Any idea what they're up to?" He asked the larger man, tilting his head toward the basin.

Drax looked over thoughtfully. "He took the only two Natives in our group with him. My guess is they'll come back with some fresh meat, maybe something else useful."

"Where you getting that from" Kraglin asked, leaning back in his saddle to get a better look at the other man.

Drax let out a laugh. "We won't be the only ones who saw that buffalo herd."

Kraglin frowned as he looked back at the cloud of dust growing smaller down below.

The sun was casting long shadows across the ground, bathing everything in a rich orange glow as the group made camp for the night. Kraglin, Drax and Peter were still brushing down the horses when the sound of approaching hooves reached their ears. Giving his horse a final pat, Kraglin forced himself to walk calmly over to the three men as they returned. Groot and Rocket each had a travois dragging behind their horses, loaded with bundles. Yondu swung over the side of his horse, strutting over to the group with a big self satisfied smile on his face.

"Yall be happy to know that we're having fresh meat tonight. No hardtack nonsense, oh no." He flung a bundle at Peter, who caught it and quickly unwrapped a large chunk of buffalo meat.

"You were hunting just now?" Peter asked incredulously.

"Don't be stupid, we was trading. Had Groot here talk to that group of men who've been following the buffalo for days. Brought Rocket since no one can understand a word Groot says around here." Yondu said, unhooking the travois from Rocket's horse and laying it on the ground.

"Go give all the families some meat, they been looking weak." He ordered Peter and Drax, shoving bundles into both of their hands.

"You two finish unsaddling your horses and get some food. Ya earned it." Yondu said, clapping Rocket on the shoulder. Groot gave a small smile, his enormous figure looming over his small companion.

Yondu grabbed something large from the travois, folding it into his arms and taking it over to the supply wagon. Kraglin wasn't sure if he should follow, or sulk about being left out of the adventure. He stood chewing on his bottom lip for several minutes, before settling on drifting over to the wonderful smells coming from the fire. It had been almost two months since he'd had unsalted meat, since he'd had anything that wasn't dried and awful really. The roast that was cooking up smelled good enough to momentarily distract him from the hurt he felt from being excluded.

After ravenously shoving his dinner down in a few large bites, Kraglin allowed himself a look around. Yondu was seated off to the side, still holding the folded up bundle in his arms. He was distractedly gnawing on a large rib, his eyes a million miles off in thought. When he finally looked up, he eventually focused in on Kraglin. A sneaky, lazy smile spread across his face that showed every tooth. Flinging the ribs into the fire, he stood up slowly. Excessively slow, as if he was enjoying the fact that Kraglin was glaring at his every move. He strolled over to pick up a lantern before hopping up into the back of the supply wagon.

The dark silhouette of his figure moved across the canvas from within the wagon, and Kraglin could hear the crinkle of the map being spread out as Yondu studied their progress the same way he did most nights. Kraglin finished the last bites of his dinner hastily, still glaring at the man even though he couldn't see it.

"Oh just go in there already." Rocket said, breaking through Kraglin's thoughts.

They stared at each other for a minute, Rocket with his eyebrow raised and Kraglin with a frown.

"Kraggles, get over here a minute. Need you to take a look at this." Yondu called out, his head popping around from the back of the wagon.

Rocket wiggled his eyebrows at Kraglin, a wicked grin spreading across his pointy face. "Better hurry, he needs you." He added a wink at the end, letting out a snicker that Groot echoed.

Heat rose in Kraglin's face as he stood, trying not to seem too eager as he made his way over to the wagon. He refused to turn back and look at Rocket, though he was conflicted by what the other had said. That phrase 'he needs you' had caused an unexpected reaction deep inside his stomach as soon as the words were uttered. A little voice had muttered 'I wish' inside his head before he could hush it with other, more acceptable thoughts. He tried to push all of the hurt and pouting out of his voice as he came to stand at the back opening to the wagon and peered in at his leader.

"Well don't just stand there, climb on up." Yondu called, gesturing for him to come in.

The bundle that Yondu had been carrying was being unfurled as Kraglin crawled clumsily into the wagon, his long arms and legs almost knocking over the lantern as he moved. Kraglin settled himself next to it, realizing the bundle was a large buffalo skin. The soft thick fur just begged to be laid upon, but he tried to restrain himself by burying a hand in it instead. Yondu watched those long fingers disappear and reappear through the blanket before drawing both of their attention to the map that was spread out beside him.

"Wanna take a look at our upcoming route. The Platte is getting close, don't see a way of getting around having to cross it. Now it should be slower here, but that's an extra week's journey to get there. If we try and cross here, we might have a chance if the river ain't flooded." Yondu pointed out a few spots that were marked on the map. He glanced up at Kraglin, who was frowning as he inspected the locations, his mouth hanging slightly open as it had habit of doing when he was deep in thought. Yondu studied his face carefully, taking in all of the little details that he had grown so fond of over the last few months. There was a little line that formed between his eyebrows as he frowned, leaning closer to the map to read some notes that were scribbled lightly on it. He slowly chanced a glance at Yondu through lowered eyes, peeking at him through his eyelashes, and felt a jolt when he saw that the other man was staring directly at him.

"Well, do we risk crossing early?" Yondu asked.

"Guess we'll have to get closer to the river and see." Kraglin answered carefully.

He looked between the map and the fur blanket before settling back on Yondu's face. The sounds outside the wagon were dying down, it sounded as if most of the camp had settled in for the night. A few sleepy voices drifted in on a warm breeze, filling the otherwise still wagon with soft motion. Neither man moved aside from their eyes, Kraglin's continuing their dance from object to object while Yondu went back to studying the map. Kraglin couldn't help but feel as if they weren't really discussing the river at all.

While measuring out a distance with his thumb, Yondu growled "If you got a question to ask, get to it."

"Why didn't you take me with you to go trade?" Kraglin failed at keeping the hurt from his voice.

A smile ghosted across Yondu's lips before he could stop it. "Ya don't speak Lakota."

"Oh."

Kraglin continued to frown at him, squinting a little, which drew a sigh from the other man.

"I needed you to stay here, take charge of this lot." He offered, his voice softening slightly.

Those damn blue eyes were still squinting at him.

"Plus, I had to go back to get ya this."

There was a glint in Yondu's eye as he reached into his jacket to pull something out. He slipped the item gently into the palm of Kraglin's hand. Kraglin opened his hand slowly, a smile spreading across his whole face as he noticed that it was the sugar dish he'd been admiring. It shone in the lantern light, a distorted reflection of his pleased face spread across the curved side of the dish. A big smile spread across Yondu's face as he watched the other man examine his gift. Kraglin held the suger dish delicately in his hand, studying it with an appreciative gaze. When he looked back up at Yondu, there was something shining in his eyes that was more than the flicker of the lantern. Heat filled Yondu's stomach at that look, and he felt dangerously close to doing something reckless. Like letting him stay in that wagon with him, if it meant Kraglin would keep looking at him like that.

Instead, Yondu nudged him gently with his shoulder and uttered a soft "Go on, get."

Kraglin crawled back out of the wagon and curled up below it, unable to contain the dumb grin that kept spreading across his face.


End file.
